A number of theories exist as to the origin of the game of poker. It is said by some authorities that Poker originates from the ancient Persian game of As-nas. The modern form of poker with its innumerable, different forms can be traced to the European game of Primero which was played with four cards per person and the cards were ranked in a complicated points system. In England, Primero was overtaken in popularity by a game called Brag of which there were many forms: three card, five card, seven card and nine card versions, the most popular being the three card stud version. Wild cards were often used in Brag and were known as Braggers.
In modern casinos the game of poker takes one of three forms: live or cardroom poker where players compete against one another and the House charges a levy either in the form of a participation fee or as a percentage of winning hands; electronic video machines offering various games of poker, in particular, five card draw poker; and poker played as a “banker's game” either where the game involves players in contest with the dealer's hand or where the object is for players to obtain a hand based on hierarchical poker rankings, or games which combine the above two objects.
Live or cardroom poker games currently available comprise Texas Hold'Em, Omaha and Seven-card stud. These games require considerable skill and a relatively large bankroll in order to become a competent player. As a result of these factors most novice players avoid cardroom games. Casinos have attempted to remedy this situation by providing poker-style table games that are house-banked and that require little expertise. Typical examples of such games are Caribbean Stud, U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,553 (to Suttle et al.), and Let It Ride, U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,430 (to Breeding et al.). Both games are based on five-card stud. In the former game the players hands are pitted against the dealer's hand and in the latter case the sole objective is to form a “payable” hand based on a set of odds related to hierarchical poker rankings.
A further example of a poker game that has been introduced into casinos in order to attract novice players is U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,916 (to Webb), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The game of this patent is played as follows: it is a stud game and each player and the dealer is dealt three cards. Players bet against the dealer's hand or bet on the ranking value of their three-card hands (a “pairs plus” wager) or bet both wagers. To play against the dealer the player places an ante wager. After examining his hand the player may fold and lose his ante wager or continue play by placing a mandatory second, or play, wager equal to the ante. To win both wagers (1) the dealer must have a qualifying hand of a Queen high or better and (2) the player's hand must outrank the dealer's hand. If the dealer hand does not have a qualifying holding, the player wins an even money award on the ante wager and the second wager is a push/stand-off. If the player has made the “pairs plus” wager and his hand includes one of a schedule of winning holdings (pair or better), he receives a pay based upon the wager and the scheduled payoff.
The Webb three-card game is structured along the same lines as the five-card game Caribbean Stud. Both games are stud poker games and in both games the player's hand is pitted against the dealer's hand. Player appeal is essential to the long-term success of a game. Folding is an option that can be exercised in Caribbean Stud and the above three-card game. Statistics show that a Caribbean stud player will fold 46.97% of the time and the three-card player will fold 32.58% of the time, almost one in three hands. Although folding is an option that gives the player a chance to cut his loss, it is seen by many players as taking the fun away from the game. When a player folds not only does he lose his bet but he loses interest in the game being played out. A further shortcoming of the structure of the above two games, from a player's perspective, is the rule that the dealer must have a qualifying hand, irrespective of the dealer losing against the player's higher hand, for the player to win and be paid out. This factor is a source of major irritation to a player with a good hand who does not get paid on the second wager simply because the dealer does not qualify. Further, where there are up to seven players at a table, where the dealer does not qualify, he does not qualify as to all players.